Free Wizard's Blood [Part Two] by Bob Blink Page B

enough as is through the winter months. By next spring when people can start traveling again, we might know a lot more, and in the worst case we can give someone the job of shutting it down. I suspect by that time we are going to have a team tasked with opening and closing sites across the Settled Lands.”
     

Chapter 98
     
     
    “ We need to consider this new development carefully,” said Major Wylan, who had been brought into the small circle of people to know about the transportation portals. “Their potential is staggering, and the idea of quickly relocating troops has a lot of appeal, but I fear that would be a very short term advantage. If that many people become aware what these things can do, the secret will get out. That will mean our enemy will avoid places where they are located, and will actively be seeking the secret of how to initialize them. Once initialized, anyone can use them you say?”
    “ That’s correct,” answered Jolan. “When the system was built, it was clearly intended to be a rapid and simple system for everyone’s use.”
    “ How many people know how to activate them?”
    “ At the moment my original team of six all know, and of course Chancellor Vaen, Dibon, and Ward. They can also be activated by the crystals and if anyone was to get their hands on a charged crystal, they could learn the means from that.”
    “ My suggestion is we keep it to that small group, and we don’t allow any of the crystals to be activated with the information. Any that exist should be gathered in and cleared. It would be too easy for one to go missing. Winter is less than two months away, and no major advances in the war are going to take place until next spring. Ale’ald will surely take the rest of Kimlelm, but nothing we can do would prevent that, even with this new advantage. That will give us months to consider the best use, and we can be ready to move forward after the melt. I have a couple of ideas, but haven’t thought them through. This comes as a major surprise. Something this incredible and beyond understanding is going to take getting used to.”
    “ There are soon to be a couple of others who will know about the portals,” said Jolan. “They aren’t mages, so they will not have any idea of how to activate them. I’d also like to add one more person to our select group.”
    “ I have another name for the list as well,” said Vaen. “The Queen will have to be told.” She noted how uncomfortable this made Jolan. “She has grown, Jolan. She has learned how to handle the power that was dumped upon her, and she is already becoming a good leader. We cannot keep this from her. I will be responsible for making her understand the importance of keeping the matter held close.”
    “ Who else did you want to bring into the circle?” asked Dibon.
    “ Buris,” said Jolan. “He is beyond reproach, and a man with many ideas. Of everyone I know, he is most likely to understand and think of ways to use the system.”
    “ You said there were others?” inquired Ward.
    Jolan nodded. “In Seret. I sent Ronoran to activate a portal there. I need to be able to travel to Seret and back quickly, and a portal is necessary. It is on the private property of Lord Yeren. My friend Tomas will be aware of what it can do, and I trust his discretion, especially after I have a talk with him. I suspect a merchant, also a long time friend, will be there and understand what we have. It might have been better if he didn’t know, but I suspect that bridge has been crossed. I want to bring him into the fold, and by doing so I am certain he will not be a risk either.”
    “ The number of people grows alarmingly,” observed Wylan. “A secret is hard to keep with such numbers.”
    “ There are two secrets,” said Chancellor Vaen. “We must strive to keep both. First is the existence of the portals and what they can do. If that secret were to become known, it would not only be destructive to our plans, it would